Busy Bees: 6 Ways to Enjoy Our Favorite Pollinator in Austin

Celebrate the inaugural World Bee Day on May 20 with these events, classes, and sweets focused on saving these insects

By Megan Kimble

Published: May 18, 2018

Never heard of World Bee Day? That’s because this year marks the inaugural celebration of one of the world’s most important pollinators. Bloomberg News explains that the United Nations adopted World Bee Day in December to draw attention to efforts to protect bees and other pollinators, which are essential for food security and sustainable farming. May 20 was chosen as the date to honor the birth of Slovenian apiculturist Anton Jansa, who pioneered modern beekeeping practices in the 18th century. And, as anyone with allergies knows, May is a busy month for bees—pollen is in the air and hives are being built.

According to the Xerces Society, a fourth of bumble bee species in the United States are at risk for extinction. Bee populations have plummeted by 87 percent since the late 1990s—and that’s a problem for our food system, since native pollinators provide essential services to American agriculture estimated at as much as $9 billion annually. Like almonds or broccoli or blueberries? Honey bees enable the production of at least 90 commercially grown crops in North America.

Here are a few ways to show your support for the bees this month.

Bee Hungry

Head to Emmer & Rye on Sunday, June 3 for a benefit dinner to support honey bees. Chef Kevin Fink is teaming up with Whole Kids Foundation for the Give Bees a Chance Campaign to showcase the vital role that honey bees in food and gardens. “The American honeybee is a craftsman and artist,” said Fink. “Ingraining in a young child’s mind the scarcity and work that goes into food processes is paramount to their understanding of our food culture.” The dinner is Austin is part of a month-long fundraising campaign—four other benefit dinners are being held across the country—with the goal of raising $100,000 to fund 50 honey beehive grants nationwide, providing educational opportunities around biology, agriculture, ecology, nutrition, and business for students across the nation. Tickets are $150 per person and includes wine pairings; all profits benefit the Give Bees a Chance Campaign.

Bee Delightful

Austin-based company Bee Delightful has a modest goal: rescue one million bees in their first year of business—and sell a whole lot of CBD-infused honey along the way. Bee Delightful rescue operators safely remove wild bees from hazardous environments and relocate them to chemical-free properties throughout Central Texas, where they have plenty of room to forage and pollinate. Once those bees have settled into their new colonies, beekeepers harvest the honey, infuse it with CBD, and sell it back to consumers. Yes, we wondered, too: Cannabidiol is a naturally occurring molecule in Cannabis, as well as hemp and flax seed, and it’s legal; without THC, you won’t get high. According to Bee Delightful, pre-clinical studies sponsored by the National Institute of Health are studying the use of CBD to relieve pain, ameliorate anxiety, and treat diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

Bee Educated

To take your bee-ducation to the next level, take a beekeeping class at Round Rock Honey, which harvests and sells raw Texas wildflower honey. No experience necessary; this three-hour class offers a comprehensive yet easily understandable introduction to bees, beekeeping, and honey production. Bee suits and gloves are provided; you’ll suit up and get hands-on experience at one of Round Rock Honey’s apiaries. Can’t commit to a full class? Take a honey house tour, offered on Saturdays, to learn about Round Rock Honey’s harvesting and bottling process. Tours conclude with a honey tasting and kiddos can try on beekeeping gear (although we’re willing to bed that adults can, too, if you ask nicely). Beekeeping classes $125; tours $20.

Bee Friendly

Swing by Bee Friendly Austin to see the bees, taste honey, and learn more about this Certified Naturally Grown Apiary in Southwest Austin; there are drop-in apiary tours on most Saturdays between 1 and 5 p.m., but check online before you go. Tanya Phillips and her husband Chuck Reburn manage more than 150 colonies in Central Texas; they’re also the founders of Tour de Hives, an annual fundraiser dedicated to helping bees, beekeepers, public education, and bee research. Stay tuned for updates on the tour, scheduled on August 18 for National Honey Bee Day.

Bee Neighborly

Take the City of Austin’s Pollinator Challenge, which asks Austinites to create wildlife-friendly yards with native plants that support pollinators. Make a home for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators by cultivating plants like indigo, milkweed, and manzanita. For ideas on pollinator plant species, check out Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s plant database at wildflower.org/plants, or better yet, head down to the center to learn about their work to support pollinator conservation and wander through 279 acres of wildflowers that support native pollinators. To enter the challenge, visit austintexas.gov/pollinatorchallenge, and proudly display your Butterfly Crossing sign on your pollinator-friendly lawn.

Bee Sweet

If all else fails, head to Walton’s Fancy & Staple’s for a Honey-Bee Cake: a honey-almond cake layered with caramel buttercream and topped with ganache.